DMK moves HC again over Pongal gift issue

The DMK on Tuesday complained to the Madras High Court that AIADMK functionaries had put up flex boards and other promotion materials at ration shops to develop an impression that the government’s Pongal cash gift of 2,500 to all rice cardholders was being distributed at their wish.

Appearing before the very first Division Bench of Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy, senior counsel P. Wilson, representing the DMK, stated the AIADMK cadre were actually getting votes in favour of their celebration by utilising the cash gift offered to individuals from the general public exchequer. He said the party had already submitted a case seeking distribution of the cash gifts after ensuring that the tokens do not consist of the AIADMK flag’s colours and photos of the Chief Minister, the Deputy Chief Minister, other Ministers and party office-bearers.

Thereafter, the Tamil Nadu Civil Materials Corporation and the Registrar of Cooperative Societies provided circulars directing ration store workers to accept just official tokens. For this reason, the court got rid of the writ petition on Monday. Now, the ruling celebration cadre had developed ‘ingenious’ methods of overcoming the circulars.

This had actually led to a fresh reason for action, he said and looked for consent to move a fresh writ petition. The Bench accepted his plea and asked him to put the federal government pleader on advance notice.